


Keep calm, my beating heart

by Zephyros22



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: could occur at any point in the season, tw:self harm, written as post season 1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-07
Updated: 2015-05-07
Packaged: 2018-03-29 09:55:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3891955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zephyros22/pseuds/Zephyros22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He barely thinks as his hand reaches out and grips Karen's wrist as it withdraws. He feels Karen flinch violently to the touch, and instantly Matt relaxes his hand enough to allow her to tug free if she wanted. Before she can, however, Matt is speaking in a relaxed, albeit concerned tone that had Karen stiffening.</p><p>"What happened to your wrist, Karen?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Keep calm, my beating heart

Matt breathes in the bitter scent of coffee as Karen sets the mug in front of him. He and Foggy sit across from each other at the small table in what constitutes as the office's conference room. Foggy is mulling over documents regarding their latest client, Matt running his fingers over the braille script copy of the same paper. Yet even as distracted as he is, he catches a different scent as Karen's arm passes in front of him. It is practically invisible, and Matt knows he would not have noticed it if Karen had not been so close.

He barely thinks as his hand reaches out and grips Karen's wrist as it withdraws. He feels Karen flinch violently to the touch, and instantly Matt relaxes his hand enough to allow her to tug free if she wanted. Before she can, however, Matt is speaking in a relaxed, albeit concerned tone that had Karen stiffening.

"What happened to your wrist, Karen?"

He can smell the blood, feel the lines of raised skin on her otherwise smooth flesh. He has a hard time deciphering what they are. Underneath the smudge of concealer he can feel broken flesh. The cuts are straight, indicating something sharp, but also clean, almost... _purposeful._

Matt's lips part in silent recognition. Before he can say anything else, Karen snatches her hand from his grip. Matt slowly retreats his hand back to the desk as Karen strides away briskly. Her heels click loudly on the floor as she moves to the other side of the office. Matt tries to place her heartbeat when a hiss from Foggy interrupts him.

"What the hell, Matt?"

Matt turns his attention to his partner, brow creased in worry. "Sorry" He replies first, and after a pause he continues. "I should have considered it first...it just didn't occur to me. I thought maybe she had a cat? Or it was a paper-cut? Maybe I should-"

"What are you talking about?" Foggy interjects, and the chair creaks as he stretches to look through the door. "She's upset, what did you do?"

Matt considers telling him, but the corners of his mouth tug down into a grimace at the thought of Foggy's reaction. How was he supposed to divulge information like that without Foggy chasing after Karen the second the words left his mouth?

So instead he stands, chair scraping the floor with a sound that makes Matt wince at its urgency. He silently gestures for Foggy to stay seated, even as he moves to stand. Matt feels along the wall and out the doorway as he makes his way to the small kitchenette that Karen is currently standing in. Her heartbeat is almost deafening, hammering against her chest as she struggles to calm it. She looks up as he makes his way towards her. Instantly she's busying her hands, washing off an already clean mug. Matt comes to rest a hand on the frame of the doorway, listening to the sound of Karen's exhales before he decides to speak.

"Karen...sorry, I-"

"It's fine" she snaps, pauses, and repeats in a softer tone: "It's fine." She turns off the faucet, shaking her hands and reaching for the paper towels. Matt can just barely catch a whiff of blood as she does so. "It's just...embarrassing is all." She gives a nervous laugh, as if to emphasize the point. "I just feel so silly, cutting my hand so badly on a piece of filing equipment."

 _Ah_ Matt thinks, and tries to play along. "Of course" he mumbles, pulling his most charming smiles. "I didn't mean to upset you. Are you alright?"

He hears Karen's breath hitch, and he knows she's dying to say something else. After a moment, she relaxes. "Yeah, it's fine" she replies in a lower tone. "Just a stupid mistake."

There's something in her voice that sets Matt's senses on alert. His thoughts race as he tries to place it. Guilt? Regret? Fear? Whatever it is, now may not be the time to bring it up. He taps his fingers on the doorframe and pauses for a moment longer before letting out a quick exhale and moving back towards the conference room. Karen finishes drying her hands before following him. After a few steps Matt pauses, and Karen stops behind him. He makes a point of looking over his shoulder even though he can't see her. He speaks in a low voice that only she can hear.

"You can tell me if you want to, Karen." he whispers. "I'm here to listen."

Karen stiffens, and briefly Matt wonders if he misspoke. But Karen suddenly relaxes, shoulders drooping in a way that indicates a different kind of fatigue. A tiredness more emotional than physical.

"Thank you" She says in a voice so low Matt himself has a hard time hearing it. He nods slowly, and turns back to the conference office.

Inevitably, Foggy inquires, but seems to accept the story and even goes so far to make a joke about the 'revenge of the filing cabinet' as he so eloquently puts it. Matt smiles all the while, inner thoughts racing as he listens to the sound of Karen's voice, and the hidden tremor beneath it.


End file.
